June update

Summer doldrums have started to set in. It's not going to be as slow as, say, January - but quite a change from May!

Fortunately there is the magical Internet, and online sales. People may be going to the Hamptons on the weekends here but there are plenty of folks not going anywhere, tap-tapping on their computers all year round.

This could be why I maintain so many businesses and projects - when one slows down, the other one is there for you.

The shop is quite warm now, I run the A/C all day. But, the direct sunlight is shallower as summer approaches (high school physics [or astronomy] to the rescue) and at least I don't have 6 foot beams of sunlight hitting my candles, soaps, and other meltables.

Other things I have learned - when I get down to one item or so, remove it. Nobody likes taking the last one. However...someone will come in looking for it, and then you can sell it anyway, and it wasn't even taking up display space. Cool!

Another good thing to do - put little explanatory labels near the inscrutable items. More things fit in this category than you think. People still like to read, thank God.

One thing I have been wondering about is when to retire a product. There is the whole "rare" notion versus keeping a product that you know you can reliably sell all the time. I tend to want lots of new stuff but I think designers get mad when you don't reorder. I know I get mad when a store doesn't get my new line of jewelry! But, I understand it a bit better now.